Electronic devices (cellular telephones, wireless modems, computers, digital music players, Global Positioning System units, Personal Digital Assistants, gaming devices, etc.) have become a part of everyday life. Small computing devices are now placed in everything from automobiles to housing locks. The complexity of electronic devices has increased dramatically in the last few years. For example, many electronic devices have one or more processors that help control the device, as well as a number of digital circuits to support the processor and other parts of the device.
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, data and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting simultaneous communication of multiple wireless communication devices with one or more base stations.
Mobile devices may have multiple modes of operation. For example, a mobile device may be actively transmitting voice or data over a wireless link. Alternatively, a mobile device may be in an idle mode, where it has limited functionality. Like other portable electronics, mobile devices may have limited battery life. Therefore, benefits may be realized by reducing idle mode power consumption for monitoring neighboring base stations.